2027 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
| Season | 2026–27 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 68 | ||||
| Finals site | Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan | ||||
| |||||
The 2027 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament will involve 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball national champion for the 2026–27 season. The 88th edition of the tournament is scheduled to begin on March 16, 2027, and will conclude with the championship game on April 5, 2027, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Tournament procedure
Pending any changes, a total of 68 teams will enter the 2027 tournament. 32 automatic bids will be awarded to each program that wins their conference's tournament. The remaining 36 bids are "at-large", with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee on Selection Sunday, March 14. The Selection Committee will also seed the entire field from 1 to 68.
Eight teams (the four-lowest seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at large-teams) play in the First Four. The winners of these games will advance to the main tournament. bracket.
2027 NCAA Tournament schedule and venues
The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 2027 tournament:[1]
First Four
- March 16 and 17
First and Second Rounds (Subregionals)
- March 18 and 20
- March 19 and 21
- Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina (Hosts: UNC Charlotte/Atlantic Coast Conference)
- Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, (Host: University of Minnesota)
- KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Kentucky, (Host: University of Louisville)
- Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California (Host: California State University)
Regional Semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)
- March 25 and 27
- South Regional
- West Regional
- March 26 and 28
- Midwest Regional
- East Regional
National Semifinals and Finals (Final Four and National Championship)
- April 3 and 5
Detroit will host the Final Four for the second time, having previously hosted in 2009.[2].
Game officials
First Four - Dayton, OH
First and Second Rounds (Subregionals)
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Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight)
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National semifinals and finals (Final Four and National Championship)
- Detroit
- Final Four Game 1 –
- Final Four Game 2 –
- National Championship Game –
Media coverage
Television
CBS Sports and TNT Sports will have US television rights to the tournament.[3] As part of a cycle that began in 2016, CBS will televise the Final Four and the National Championship Game. A planned merger announced in 2026 between CBS parent Paramount Skydance and TNT Sports parent Warner Bros. Discovery would bring March Madness coverage under one roof.[4] However, the deal is still expected to face legal challenges.[5]
Television channels
- Selection Show – CBS
- First Four – truTV
- First And Second Rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV
- Regional Semifinals And Finals – CBS and TBS
- National Semifinals (Final Four) and Championship – CBS
Streaming
- HBO Max (only TBS, TNT, and truTv Games), ad free tiers only.[6].
- Paramount+ (only CBS games)
Radio
Westwood One will have exclusive coverage of the tournament.
See also
References
- ^ "NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee Selects Final Four Sites". NCAA.com. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ "Detroit To Host 2027 NCAA Men's Final Four At Ford Field". DetroitLions.com. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Bonesteel, Matt (April 12, 2016). "CBS and Turner lock down NCAA Tournament Through 2032". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ Reed, Matt (March 3, 2026). "Paramount, Warner Bros merger boosts incredible sports portfolio". The Big Lead. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- ^ Miller, Daniel; Norman, Nicole (March 20, 2026). "The last line of defense against Paramount megadeal". Politico. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- ^ "Max To Keep Live Sports And News Within Standard And Premium Subscription Tiers No". WarnerMedia.com. June 13, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.